ROCK ISLAND, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings men's volleyball team will return home for their first game in the Carver Center in over three weeks as they welcome in the No. 4 ranked North Central Cardinals in a CCIW contest.
The Vikings were defeated in their last outing by the Loras Duhawks in Dubuque by a score of 3-0. Augie hung around with Loras in the first set as the game saw a 14-14 tie, but from there the home team answered with six consecutive scores to pull away from Augie and take the first set by a score of 25-15. In the second, Loras grew an early lead to as many as six before holding a 15-10 lead at one point. The Vikings charged all the way back to tie the game at 22 points before each squad traded scores for the next few rallies. With the set knotted at 26-26, the Duhawks secured back-to-back kills to earn the hard-fought two-point win and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Loras grabbed a 25-17 win in the third to complete the match victory.
Aidan Bolen led the offensive attack for the Vikings, finishing with a team-high eight kills.
North Central enters Wednesday with a 16-1 overall record and 7-1 mark in league play. The team defeated No. 13 California Lutheran in a non-conference showdown in their last outing, picking up a sweep at home. North Central has four wins over teams ranked in the AVCA top 15 this season. Their lone loss came at currently-ranked No. 3 Carthage on the road on March 2 by a score of 3-1.
Augustana is 1-7 all-time vs. North Central. The Cardinals defeated the Vikings earlier this season in Naperville by a score of 3-0. Start tiime is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Game coverage vs. North Central
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